This unit is titled Career Exploration. Students use a website titled, collegeincolorado.org and use Web 2.0 tools such as Mindomo, Skype, and Edublogs to determine a future career, research it, create a visual resume, interview, and reflect on their learning and experience with the selected career.
From the grant program, I really learned about ways I could incorporate technology into instruction that I have not previously used. Teaching technology classes forces me to use technology because I have to model and use the technology to teach the class. But for my library instruction, I very rarely require students to use technology as a learning tool. This program has made me look at what I do in my tech classes and try and incorporate those ideas into my other classes. The innovation portion of this program really opened my eyes to ways that I could use tech in library skills for students to demonstrate their understanding and represent content in my class.
For my 8th grade technology class, I really tried to focus the unit on creating a high level of motivation and engagement based on the fact that I wanted the students to be motivated to exploring a potential career. I wanted to use their ICAPS because it is something that already exists and I am not really sure if the 8th graders really understand its potential or they just put up with it because they are required to do it. I think that the increase in motivation was because it was something that they cared about. Based on information they provided, they were suggested a potential career. And to gain information and understanding really made a connection with them. Also, having to interview a “real” person gave them a level of responsibility.
I think that I added a level of student responsibility and choice that I haven’t done much in the past. I usually have things very structured. The nature of the unit was for student choice but it really had to be since it is their potential career.
My next steps lie in refining what I implemented this year. I also have a new challenge teaching a section of social studies next year. I think that I have a wealth of information to help integrate tech and 21st Century Skills into this class. I am really excited to see what I will be able to do with this class.
Literature Review
When I first started to read the book titled, Reinventing Project-Based Learning by Suzie Boss and Jane Krauss, I was very interested in the things that were being presented. But I was extremely irritated at the same time because so much of education wants project-based learning, but so many school districts and schools make it almost impossible for it to happen. But in reading the text, I was I had to really set those feelings aside and focus on this type of learning as a good model for me to try and focus projects with my classes and collaborations with other teachers. PBL may not be supported on a large scale but I still have to try at a level that works for and my team.
The elements in this book ended up being really good reminders for me of things I already do or have done in the past and just needed to be refreshed. The one thing that I most connected with was the implementation strategies. I have already have a really good grasp on the tools for implementation but I think being in a tech class helps me to really step away from good old instruction strategies. This section of the book made me really take a step back and think about how I can refocus my questioning. I think that I take the basic questions for granted and really limit myself with not trying to ask more complex questions. I need to implement more guide inquiry opportunities into my instruction.
I am not really sure if this book changed my educational philosophy because many of the ideas and information that are presented is representative of how I teach now and they beliefs I feel are important in my teaching. However, the book did shift my thinking about global awareness. To listen to stories of students connecting with other students around the country and the world, it really changed my ideas about motivation. I did have a strong experience with students connecting with others so this part of the book really reinforced that for me.
The only thing that I found that lacked in the book was more examples. I would have liked more day-to-day classroom examples. I did appreciate the larger unit examples but I would’ve liked to see smaller applicable lessons direct from technology classes.
I think that this book had minimal impact on my lesson and unit. For most of the book, I felt like I was reading material that I already knew about. I have a vast knowledge of Web 2.0 tools, software applications, etc. I was already using a Wiki to communicate with my classes and blogs for my students to reflect and think. I feel that the questioning section was most to my benefit and I was able to apply that in deeper level questions to my students and helping them develop those types of questions for their interviews.
E2T2 Portfolio Page for Rebecca Pitman
Summary
This unit is titled Career Exploration. Students use a website titled, collegeincolorado.org and use Web 2.0 tools such as Mindomo, Skype, and Edublogs to determine a future career, research it, create a visual resume, interview, and reflect on their learning and experience with the selected career.Shared Lessons, Units, and Resources
Blog Entries
Pitman's Reflections on TeachingStudent Work Samples
Infographic Resumes
Reflection Blog Posts
Avi
karla
Jonathan's Blog
Skype pictures (video available upon request):
Summative Narrative
From the grant program, I really learned about ways I could incorporate technology into instruction that I have not previously used. Teaching technology classes forces me to use technology because I have to model and use the technology to teach the class. But for my library instruction, I very rarely require students to use technology as a learning tool. This program has made me look at what I do in my tech classes and try and incorporate those ideas into my other classes. The innovation portion of this program really opened my eyes to ways that I could use tech in library skills for students to demonstrate their understanding and represent content in my class.For my 8th grade technology class, I really tried to focus the unit on creating a high level of motivation and engagement based on the fact that I wanted the students to be motivated to exploring a potential career. I wanted to use their ICAPS because it is something that already exists and I am not really sure if the 8th graders really understand its potential or they just put up with it because they are required to do it. I think that the increase in motivation was because it was something that they cared about. Based on information they provided, they were suggested a potential career. And to gain information and understanding really made a connection with them. Also, having to interview a “real” person gave them a level of responsibility.
I think that I added a level of student responsibility and choice that I haven’t done much in the past. I usually have things very structured. The nature of the unit was for student choice but it really had to be since it is their potential career.
My next steps lie in refining what I implemented this year. I also have a new challenge teaching a section of social studies next year. I think that I have a wealth of information to help integrate tech and 21st Century Skills into this class. I am really excited to see what I will be able to do with this class.
Literature Review
When I first started to read the book titled, Reinventing Project-Based Learning by Suzie Boss and Jane Krauss, I was very interested in the things that were being presented. But I was extremely irritated at the same time because so much of education wants project-based learning, but so many school districts and schools make it almost impossible for it to happen. But in reading the text, I was I had to really set those feelings aside and focus on this type of learning as a good model for me to try and focus projects with my classes and collaborations with other teachers. PBL may not be supported on a large scale but I still have to try at a level that works for and my team.The elements in this book ended up being really good reminders for me of things I already do or have done in the past and just needed to be refreshed. The one thing that I most connected with was the implementation strategies. I have already have a really good grasp on the tools for implementation but I think being in a tech class helps me to really step away from good old instruction strategies. This section of the book made me really take a step back and think about how I can refocus my questioning. I think that I take the basic questions for granted and really limit myself with not trying to ask more complex questions. I need to implement more guide inquiry opportunities into my instruction.
I am not really sure if this book changed my educational philosophy because many of the ideas and information that are presented is representative of how I teach now and they beliefs I feel are important in my teaching. However, the book did shift my thinking about global awareness. To listen to stories of students connecting with other students around the country and the world, it really changed my ideas about motivation. I did have a strong experience with students connecting with others so this part of the book really reinforced that for me.
The only thing that I found that lacked in the book was more examples. I would have liked more day-to-day classroom examples. I did appreciate the larger unit examples but I would’ve liked to see smaller applicable lessons direct from technology classes.
I think that this book had minimal impact on my lesson and unit. For most of the book, I felt like I was reading material that I already knew about. I have a vast knowledge of Web 2.0 tools, software applications, etc. I was already using a Wiki to communicate with my classes and blogs for my students to reflect and think. I feel that the questioning section was most to my benefit and I was able to apply that in deeper level questions to my students and helping them develop those types of questions for their interviews.